Aprons



Nov. 7, 1967 B. M. FREUND 3,350,720

APRON S Filed Aug. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. 577-y M. FEEU/VQI United States Patent fiie sesame Patented Nov. '2' 1967 3,350,724} APRON Betty M. Freund, 104 W. Monroe St., Monroeville, Ohio 44347 Filed Aug. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 47?,379 9 Claims. (Cl. 2-48) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE An apron comprising a back panel and a front panel secured to each other by first fastening means at the shoulders and second fastening means at the waist, both of said fastening means being adjustable to provide for varying the length and girth of the apron, and both panels being cut out at the neck as well as being indented at the sides to reduce the amount of material and increase the comfort and efficiency. Preferably the front panel comprises two fiat sheets, the first sheet partially overlying the second sheet and having diverging leg parts in said overlying portion which are stitched along their lateral and bottom edges to define pockets. If desired, the front panel may be removed and replaced by another panel formed of a single flat sheet without pockets.

This invention relates to protective garments, and more particularly to convertible aprons.

The object of the invention is the provision of an apron of the kind indicated, which features greater comfort, freedom of action, and ease of adjustments for body length and girth of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apron of the character indicated above, composed of front. and back panels, the front and back panels being adapted to be exchanged with other front and back panels.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apron of the-character indicated above, which features a pocket-equipped front panel, which has a large capacity dual pocket arrangement extending thereacross, embodying means which prevents contents of the pocket arrangementfrom accumulating at the middle of the pocket arrangement.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded schematic perspective view of an apron of the present invention in place on a wearer, and showing a replacement front panel for the pocket-equipped front panel of said apron;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the pocket equipped front panel of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the back panel of the apron of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 4 is a view, like FIGURE 3, showing waistline tabs adjusted to reduce the girth of the apron.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated apron comprises a back panel B, and interchangeable front panels F and PP, the front panel F being a plain panel, and the front panel FP being a pocket-equipped front panel.

The back panel B comprises a flexible sheet, of any suitable material, and of any design constitution, of vertically elongated form, having a body portion having a slightly concaved lower edge 12. The lower part of the body portion 10 is of a width to slightly more than span the waistline area of the back of the wearer, and is formed with lateral tabs 14 of generally outwardly tapered form, provided with rounded outer ends 16. The lower edge 12 of the body portion 10 defines the lower edges ofthe tabs 14.

At points centered with respect to the outer ends of the tabs 14, the tabs are provided with pairs of buttons, which consist of registered front and rear buttons 18, the presence of which provides for attachment of the tabs 14, to a front panel, in either of two reversed positions, this provision being made, in the interest of variety where the sides of the back panel are different, or in the interest of improved appearance, where one side of the back panel becomes worn or soiled.

In conjunction with the buttons 18, horizontally spaced, horizontal adjustment button holes 20 are formed through the tabs 14, inwardly of the buttons, and in the body portion 10 adjacent thereto, through which related ones of the buttons 18 are adapted to be engaged, as indicated in FIGURE 4, for adjusting the girth of the back panel B.

Formed on the upper end of the body portion 10 of the back panel B are vertically elongated, relatively wide, upwardly divergent shoulder straps 20. The shoulder straps 26 have concave inner edges 22, which, at their lower ends, merge into a rounded notch 24. The body portion 10 has concave side edges 26, the upper parts of which form the outer edges of the shoulder straps 20. The outer side edges 26 of the body portion 10 are thus indented, not only in the interest of savings of material and avoidance of over-coverage of the wearers back, but in the interest of greater freedom of action for the wearer, and the elimination of projecting edges having a tendency to snag on projections, such as appliance and door handles, encountered during the course of work done while wearing the apron.

The shoulder straps 24 are of a length to rest upon and reach forwardly over the shoulders of the wearer, and are sufficiently widely spaced from each other, to put the full carriage of the apron, on the shoulders, without undesirable contact with the neck of the wearer.

The shoulder straps 2t terminate, at their upper ends, in vertical, reduced width tabs 28, having rounded upper ends 30, these tabs being laterally inwardly offset with respect to the outer edges of the shoulder straps. The inner edges 22 of the shoulder strap 20 are extended upwardly to form the inner edges of the tabs 28. Each of the tabs 28 is provided, on its normally inner side, with an upper button 32, located in centered relation to the rounded end 349 thereof; and, on its normally outer side, with a lower button 34, spaced downwardly from the upper button. The buttons 32 and 34 are selectively engageable through button holes of a front panel, so as to adjust the apron to different body lengths of wearers.

The plain front apron panel F comprises a sheet of suitable flexible material, the same, or different on opposite sides thereof, so as to be reversible when desired. The front panel F is vertically elongated and is long enough to cover the breast of the wearer and extends to a desired extent, below the waistline of the wearer.

The panel F comprises a lower apron portion 36 and an upper bib portion 38, which meet substantially at waistline level. The apron portion 36 has a substantially straight lower edge 40, from which convex outer side edges 42 extend upwardly and at upward and inner angles. The side edges 42 terminate, at their upper ends, in short laterally inwardly extending upper edges 44, substantially at waistline level. Single horizontal button holes 46 are formed immediately below and parallel with the upper edges 44, in the corners formed by the meetings of the side edges 42 and the upper edges 44 of the apron portion 36, the button holes 46 being adapted to selectively receive the lower tab buttons 18 of the back panel B, with the back panel side tabs 14 underlying the apron portion 36, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The bib portion 38 of the front panel F is somewhat narrower than the apron panel 36, and has outer side 1.9 edges, which are constituted by lower straight portions 48, disposed at relatively sharp inward and downward angles, and upper portion 5%), which are substantially parallel to each other. The lower side edge portion 43, at their lower edges, intersect the inner ends of the upper edges 44 of the apron portion 36.

On the upper end of the bib portion 38 are short upwardly diverging tabs 52, substantially the same in width as to the shoulder straps 20 of the back panel F. The tabs 52 are separated by a concave notch 54-, which is substantially larger in diameter than a Wearers neck, and is designed to be comfortably out of contact therewith. The tabs 52 are formed with vertical button holes 55, positioned to receive upper buttons 32, 34 of the back panel B, with the tabs 52 underlying the shoulder straps 2t) and the tabs 24 of the back panel B, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The pocket-equipped front panel FP, shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2, has an apron portion 36, similar to the apron portion 35, of FIGURE 1; and a bib portion 38, which diflers from the bib portion 38 of FIGURE 1.

The bib portion 38', where it extends above the apron portion 36, had convex outer side edges 50, which, at their upper ends, merge concavely, as indicated at 58, into the upperwardly diverging outer side edges, of the upper tabs 24-, which are generally triangular upwardly divergent form, and are separated by a relatively shallow neckclearance concave notch 54. Vertical button holes 56 are provided in the tabs 24'.

The bib portion 38 is substantially longer than the bib portion 38, and below the upper end of the apron portion 36, has a pocket-forming portion 64-. The portion 64- has a short upper relatively straight upwardly and downwardly angled outer side edge portions 66, which merge into concave, outwardly and downwardly angled intermediate side edge portions 68. The latter intersect the ends of short straight outwardly and downwardly angled lower side edge portions 70.

The lower side edge portions 76, at their lower ends, meet the laterally outward ends of the bottom edge portions 72. The bottom edge portions 72 are oppositely convexly curved in inward and upward directions, to the vertical centerline of the pocket-forming portion 64.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the pocket-forming portion 64 is connected to the apron portion 36 by lines of sewing, or in any other suitable manner. A vertical centerline of sewing 74 divides the portion 64, from top to bottom. Short vertical upper lines of sewing 76, along the short upper side edge portions 66 connect the portion 64 to the apron portion. Lower vertical lines of sewing 78, along the lower side edge portions 68 of the portion 64 form the outer ends of twin pockets 8%, whose bottoms are constituted by lines of sewing 82, extending along the bottom edges 72 of the portion 64. Access to the pockets 84) is provided at the unsewed edges 68 of the pocketforming portion 64.

The presence of the vertical centerline of sewing 74, separates the pockets 80 from each other, and the outward declinations of the pockets 8%, relative to the sewing line 74, serves to cause the contents of the pockets to avoid accumulation at the middle of the pocket structure, and, instead, to desirably move toward the outer ends of the pockets.

What is claimed is:

1. An apron comprising a back panel having a lower edge adapted to be located at the waistline of a wearer, relatively widely spaced shoulder straps on the upper end of the back panel, a front panel having an upper bib portion having a lower edge adapted to be located at the waistline of the wearer, said front panel having a lower apron portion extending below the lower edge of the bib portion, said bib portion having relatively widely spaced tabs on its upper end, button and button hole means for securing the tabs to the shoulder straps, said apron portion having an upper edge adapted to be located at the waistline of the wearer, said apron portion being formed with button holes located at the corners between the meetings of the upper edge of the apron portion and the side edges of the apron portion, said back panel having lateral tabs adjacent to its lower edge, said lateral tabs extending outwardly beyond the side edges of the back panel, said lateral tabs having transversely aligned buttons secured to opposite sides of the tabs, the material of the back panel adjacent to the tabs being formed with rows of button holes spaced inwardly from the aligned buttons and from each other, the lateral tabs being adapted to be folded inwardly onto the back panel and one of the aligned buttons engaged through a selected one of the row of button holes, the selected buttons being adapted to be engaged through button holes of the front panel apron portion.

2. An apron comprising a back panel having a central portion of less width than the back of a wearer, a lower portion widening outwardly and downwardly from said central portion to a width approximately that of the back of a wearer and terminating in a lower edge widened by lateral tabs and adapted to be located at a wearers waistline, and a pair of spaced shoulder straps extending upwardly from said center portion whose outer edges merge into the side edges of the center portion and whose inner edges are defined by a downwardly disposed, semi-oval cutout extending from the upper edges of said straps to a level near the center of the back panel and at the upper edge of said center portion, a front panel having an upper bib portion and a lower apron portion, the upper bib portion being wider at its top than at its bottom, and the upper edge of the apron portion being wider than the bottom of said bib portion to define side tabs at the waistline of a wearer, first fastening means on said shoulder straps and adjacent parts of the upper edge of said bib portion to adjustably secure the front panel to the shoulder straps at selected points longitudinally of said straps, and second fastening means on said lateral and side tabs for adjustably fastening the apron portion to the back panel at the waistline to provide for changing the girth of the apron to fit different wearers.

3. An apron according to claim 2 in which said bib portion of the front panel has a cut-out of curved shape extending downwardly in the central portion of the upper edge thereof to define stub-like straps for overlying the shoulders of a wearer and for attachment to said shoulder straps by said first fastening means.

4. An apron assembly according to claim 3 wherein said first fastening means comprises longitudinally spaced buttons on the shoulder straps at their free ends, and buttonholes in the upper stub-like straps of the bib portion through which said buttons are selectively engageable.

5. An apron assembly according to claim 4 wherein said second fastening means comprises buttonholes formed in said side tabs of the apron portion, and buttons on the lateral tabs of the back panel engageable through the said buttonholes.

6. An apron according to claim 2 wherein said bib portion is formed of a first sheet laid fiat on a second sheet forming the apron portion of the front panel, said first sheet extending above the upper edge of the second sheet and having a pocket-forming portion which is below said upper edge and overlies said second sheet, said pocketforming portion comprising a central part and a pair of depending and outwardly diverging leg parts, and said leg parts being stitched to said apron portion at their lateral and lower extremities.

7. An apron according to claim 6 wherein said leg parts have bottom edges and outer side edges, said bottom edges being secured to the apron portion to define pocket bottoms, spaced upper and lower parts of said side edges being secured to the apron portion to define outer pocket ends, intermediate parts of said side edges being unsecured to the apron portion to provide access to pockets defined between the apron portion and the leg parts.

8. An apron according to claim 7 wherein said leg parts are further secured to the apron portion along a vertical center line extending between the leg parts and to the upper edge of the apron portion to define isolated twin pockets.

9. An apron according to claim 1 wherein said button and buttonhole means for securing the tabs to the shoulder straps comprise buttons placed on opposite sides of the shoulder straps but spaced longitudinally thereof and buttonholes in said tabs at the upper end of the bib portion, whereby said back panel may be reversed and Worn on either side as well as to adjusted lengths of its straps by engaging a selected one of the buttons on each strap to one buttonhole of the corresponding tab of the bib portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kiselgoif 2-48 Broman 2-48 Clamage 272 Sanborn 248 Van Nest 2-48 Voorsanger 248 Rouleau 248 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

15 A. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APRON COMPRISING A BACK PANEL HAVING A LOWER EDGE ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED AT THE WAISTLINE OF A WEARER, RELATIVELY WIDELY SPACED SHOULDER STRAPS ON THE UPPER END OF THE BACK PANEL, A FRONT PANEL HAVING AN UPPER BIB PORTION HAVING A LOWER EDGE ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED AT THE WAISTLINE OF THE WEARER, SAID FRONT PANEL HAVING A LOWER APRON PORTION EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BIB PORTION, SAID BIB PORTION HAVING RELATIVELY WIDELY SPACED TABS ON ITS UPPER END, BUTTON AND BUTTON HOLE MEANS FOR SECURING THE TABS TO THE SHOULDER STRAPS, SAID APRON PORTION HAVING AN UPPER EDGE ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED AT THE WAISTLINE OF THE WEARER, SAID APRON PORTION BEING FORMED WITH BUTTON HOLES LOCATED AT THE CORNER BETWEEN THE MEETINGS OF THE UPPER EDGE OF THE APRON PORTION AND THE SIDE EDGES OF THE APRON PORTION, SAID BACK PANEL HAVING LATERAL TABS ADJACENT TO ITS LOWER EDGE, SAID LATERAL TABS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE SIDE EDGES OF THE BACK PANEL, SAID LATERAL TABS HAVING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED BUTTONS SECURED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TABS, THE MATERIAL OF THE BACK PANEL ADJACENT TO THE TABS BEING FORMED WITH ROWS OF BUTTON HOLES SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE ALIGNED BUTTONS AND FROM EACH OTHER, THE LATERAL TABS BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED INWARDLY ONTO THE BACK PANEL AND ONE OF THE ALIGNED BUTTONS ENGAGED THROUGH A SELECTED ONE OF THE ROW OF BUTTON HOLES, THE SELECTED BUTTONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED THROUGH BUTTON HOLES OF THE FRONT PANEL APRON PORTION. 